Freedom house convened a group of bahraini activists one year after the pearl uprising to discuss the current political climate. When the latter does, which is quite rare, its sympathy for the bahraini government is clear. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Bahrain s strategic location in the persian gulf has brought rule and influence from mostly the persians, sumerians, assyrians, babylonians, portuguese, the arabs, and the british.
On saturday, protesters commandeered pearl square, the epicenter of the revolt, from government forcesbut it was a battle hard won. The uprising in bahrain that began on 14 february 2011 has been contained but not resolved. Ben anderson reports undercover in bahrain, meeting activists, protestors, grieving parents, and alleged torture victims from the revolution that. Syrian, bahraini, yemeni governments continue efforts to. But so far, little has changed in a country where shiite muslims make up most of the. An interview with a leading human rights activist from bahrain. Feb 15, 2014 bahrain security forces clash with shiite protesters who tried to march towards the capitals symbolic pearl square to mark the third anniversary of an arab springinspired uprising. Eu foreign policy towards bahrain in the aftermath of the uprising toby matthiesen for the past few decades, bahrain has been the gulf state with the strongest opposition movement and the highest frequency of street protests.
They could also exacerbate sectarian tensions not only in bahrain or the gulf but across the region. We ask bahraini activist maryam alkhawaja if there has been any progress in bahrain seven years after the uprising. Like many countries in the middle east and beyond, bahrain erupted with antiauthoritarian protests in 2011 when the arab spring took the region and many of its repressive leaders by surprise. Amid the extensive coverage of the arab uprisings, the gulf state of bahrain has been almost forgotten.
Feb, 2016 how bahrains crushed uprising spawned the middle easts sectarianism. For more information about our premium donor gifts you can find out more here. The revolution that wasnt bahrain put down an uprising and said it would introduce changes. Bahrains uprising transports readers back to the tumultuous, even giddy, period when, for a few weeks at least, anything seemed possible. Bahrain s uprising is an attempt to make the forgotten uprising less forgotten. For over a year now, bahrain government supporters have been waging a new sort of social media attack against advocates. An island kingdom in the arabian gulf where the shia muslim majority are ruled by a family from the sunni minority. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our favorite. It describes how the prodemocracy movement that erupted in early2011 became entrapped in the crosshairs of regional and international geopolitics. The protests were inspired by the unrest of the 2011 arab spring and 201112 iranian protests and escalated to daily clashes after the bahraini government repressed the revolt with the support of gulf cooperation council and peninsula shield force. The eyes of the world remain fixed on ukraine, where russia has annexed crimea and is boosting its military forces along ukraines eastern border.
Earlier this year, vice news correspondent ben anderson travelled to london to speak with nabeel rajab, the unofficial leader of bahrains uprising, and. But so far, little has changed in a country where shiite muslims make up most of. Protests mark 2nd anniversary of bahrain uprising the movement opposing bahrains autocratic monarchy is gaining strength in what has become the. The bahraini uprising of 2011 was a series of antigovernment protests in bahrain led by the shiadominant and some sunni minority bahraini opposition from 2011 until 2014. Eu foreign policy towards bahrain in the aftermath of the. On the fifth anniversary of the 2011 uprising, two bahrainis offer their take on the countrys past and future. Many people, grinning as only people do when a future of unlimited possibility stretches before them, used their smartphones to document their attendance at the pearl roundabout, bahrains freedom square. Resistance and repression in the gulf 1 by alaa shehabi, marc owen jones isbn. Posts about bahrain uprising written by stefan lang. From mid2010, tensions have escalated after the arrest of dozens of bloggers and human rights and political activists. Riot police in bahrain have stormed an exhibition dedicated to the arab springinspired uprising the raid came two days after the opening of the museumstyle hall, which included scenes. Fusing historical and contemporary analysis, bahrains uprising seeks to fill this gap, examining the ongoing protests and state repression that continues today. Emotions and the microfoundations of the arab uprisings jstor.
The bahraini protests were a series of demonstrations, amounting to a. Bahrains inconvenient truths by atlantic council issuu. Bahrain has been ruled by the al khalifa royal family since the 18th century. This practice note examines the regional and international dimensions of bahrains aborted revolution. In bahrain, a smoldering insurgency reveals the resilience of. How bahrains crushed uprising spawned the middle easts. However, a report on bahrains security by the washington institute for near east.
Fears of further violent crackdown on uprising anniversary 14 february 2017, 14. On saturday, protesters commandeered pearl square, the epicenter of the revolt, from government forcesbut it was a. It was news to them that an uprising took place in bahrain. Thousands take to the streets day after anniversary of uprising february 15, 2014 5. There was a large black market for these banned phones, with smugglers hiding them inside car bumpers or car door frames, while customs officials and police used ultrasound devices to ferret them out. His most recent book is group conflict and political mobilization in bahrain and the arab gulf. Jan 20, 2016 while bahrains uprising arguably would have benefited from a more rigorous balancing of oppositionist and loyalist perspectives, the book succeeds nevertheless in reconstructing an evocative and comprehensive account of what is, in large measure, the forgotten flashpoint of the arab spring. Regional dimensions and international consequences. I dont have any concrete evidence to back up my speculations.
Edited by alaa shehabi, the daughter of a prominent figure in the bahraini opposition in exile in the united kingdom, and marc owen jones, who grew up as an expatriate in bahrain, the volume is unabashedly activist both in tone and in content and is an outgrowth of the bahrain watch web initiative established in 2012. Over the past several years, shia militants have waged a lowintensity insurgency against the sunni rulers of the tiny gulf kingdom of bahrain, an important frontline in the proxy war between iran and its rivals in. The military intervention that the world forgot al jazeera. The bahraini security forces, in a predawn swoop on the pearl roundabout in manama, have driven away the prodemocracy protesters aided by the apache helicopters and tear gas canisters.
Aug 15, 2012 for more than a year, groups have criticized bahrain for its crackdown on antigovernment protests and one activist is urging the world to pay attention. The former sometimes reports on what happens in bahrain. Drawing on powerful testimonies, interviews, and conversations from those involved, this broad collection of writings by. Police crackdown against bahrain protesters youtube. Syrian, bahraini, yemeni governments continue efforts to thwart uprisings.
Saab this short analysis benefits from insights gathered during a research trip by the author to the kingdom of bahrain in april 2016, during. She died of a heart attack when several masked police stormed her home. Bahrains uprising, four years later on february 14, 2011, hundreds took to the streets in the small island nation of bahrain in a march against the ruling alkhalifa family. Commissioned by king hamad bin isa alkhalifa, the report charges that security personnel relied on excessive force to quell the uprising and specifies very clear steps that the bahraini government has to take. Bahrain protests second anniversary of uprising thursday 14 february 20 this article is more than 7 years old one teenager killed as anniversary protests turn violent. Jul 14, 2016 bahrains inconvenient truths july 2016 bilal y. By combining analysis, storytelling, and narratives of the uprising, we think we have created a volume that. Bahrain security forces clash with shiite protesters who tried to march towards the capitals symbolic pearl square to mark the third anniversary of an arab springinspired uprising. Fifth fleet, the united states are interested in maintaining stability in bahrain to ensure maritime security in the gulf region. Tens of thousands mourners marched during the funeral procession for asma hussain on february 12, 2014.
Thousands take to the streets day after anniversary. An inconvenient uprising earlier this year, vice news correspondent ben anderson traveled to bahrain. Bahrain protests second anniversary of uprising thursday 14. By the way, you have to note that al jazeera english is different from the arabic one. A man rides his bicycle past graffiti with stenciled images of people killed during bahrains prodemocracy uprising that began in february 2011 in the. Jun 12, 2012 the major reform milestone was the issuance of the bahrain independent commission of inquirys report in november. Bahrains uprising alaa shehabi, marc owen jones on. Bahrain uprising anniversary protests turn violent youtube. A battle between a king and a family of freedom fighters there is a pattern of economic interests, political allegiances and military parameters that come. Nov 28, 2014 brett davis penned a rather noteworthy article in the middle of october describing the influence of saudi arabia and iran on events in bahrain for offiziere. In bahrain, the widespread sense of hope among thousands of bahrainis was evident in their use of social media. Bahrain police raid uprising exhibition world news the. All books about all revolutions begin with a chapter that describes the decay of tottering authority or the misery.
While bahrains uprising arguably would have benefited from a more rigorous balancing of oppositionist and loyalist perspectives, the book succeeds nevertheless in reconstructing an evocative and comprehensive account of what is, in large measure, the forgotten flashpoint of the arab spring. Bahrain was the central location of the ancient dilmun civilization. Oct 30, 20 riot police in bahrain have stormed an exhibition dedicated to the arab springinspired uprising the raid came two days after the opening of the museumstyle hall, which included scenes. The executive branch consists of the king, hamad bin isa al khalifa, who is head of state, and an appointed prime. Amidst the glamour and speed of last weekends bahrain grand prix near manama was the conspicuous presence of saudi arabian tanks, brought in to stifle protesters complaining against the hosting of the grand prix. Feb 14, 20 bahrain protests second anniversary of uprising thursday 14 february 20 this article is more than 7 years old one teenager killed as anniversary protests turn violent. Maryam alkhawaja, husain abdullah and jalil al radhi shared their personal stories of involvement in the revolution, assessed the obstacles to reform and proposed steps bahrain should take to move forward. Lost in public consciousness is another recent and ongoing incursion after a massive antigovernment uprising. Mar 29, 2014 the eyes of the world remain fixed on ukraine, where russia has annexed crimea and is boosting its military forces along ukraines eastern border. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. For more than a year, groups have criticized bahrain for its crackdown on antigovernment protests and one activist is urging the world to pay attention. Like many countries in the middle east and beyond, bahrain erupted with.
Along with other member states of the gulf cooperation council gcc, saudi arabia purportedly is responding to dual fears. An inconvenient uprising posted on november 28, 2014 after 26yearold street vendor mohamed bouazizi set himself on fire in front of a public building in the tunisian city of sidi bouzid on 17 december, 2010, protests broke out in tunisia. Edited by alaa shehabi, the daughter of a prominent figure in the bahraini opposition in exile in the united kingdom, and marc owen jones, who grew up as an expatriate in bahrain, the volume is unabashedly activist both in tone and in content and is. An english instructor living in manama saw a wouldbe revolution brutally repressed outside his. How bahrains crushed uprising spawned the middle easts sectarianism. The international reactions to the bahraini uprising of 2011 include responses by supranational organisations, nongovernmental organisations, media organisations, and both the governments and civil populaces, like of fellow sovereign states to the protests and uprising in bahrain during the arab spring. Feb 17, 2018 we ask bahraini activist maryam alkhawaja if there has been any progress in bahrain seven years after the uprising.
Brett davis penned a rather noteworthy article in the middle of october describing the influence of saudi arabia and iran on events in bahrain for offiziere. Bahrain fears of further crackdown on uprising anniversary. Tunisia and egypt and the absence of an uprising in algeria. It also frames the uprising in very sectarian terms. The major reform milestone was the issuance of the bahrain independent commission of inquirys report in november. But i think that the reason why it wasnt covered in the media is because the uprising in bahrain was inconvenient to everyone, the arabs and the west. Popular protests in north africa and the middle east iii. International reactions to the bahraini uprising of 2011.
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